Crimson Tears
by astridelta
Summary: Sequel to Crimson Eyes; SasuNaru. The Kyuubi is close to breaking free of the seal that has kept him captive inside of Naruto's body for nineteen years. How will Sasuke and the rest of their friends save his life? rated M, shounen-ai.
1. Vermiculus Lacrymis

_Previously..._

_"Kiba, Akamaru, and Kya will have to track down Naruto. Most likely he is trying to get as far from the village as he can until the Kyuubi becomes too much for him to handle...Hinata, Neji. When we get within a three mile radius I need you two to do the same as Shino, observe Naruto's chakra and also explain what his physical appearance is...I am going to be staying behind to prepare for the Zetsu's attack along with TenTen, Choji, and Ino," said Shikamaru. _

_To Sasuke, "You will be our best chance at getting Naruto knocked out. The easiest way to make Naruto unconscious is, of course, a genjutsu. But you will be competing with the Kyuubi as well, so focus on that and everyone else will fight if Naruto proves to be hostile...Then, once Naruto is subdued, return back to the village. The Zetsu's are expected to arrive in roughly four days. That's the amount of time we have to find Naruto, knock him out, and bring him back. Got it?" _

* * *

Chapter One: Vermiculus Lacrymis (Crimson Tears)

**Sasuke**

Six years ago, if you were to ask Uchiha Sasuke if he would defend Konoha, he would have laughed and then killed you for your stupidity in asking the question, just for being the unfortunate victim of not knowing that his brother had been ordered by that very village to kill his clan. His family. Six years ago if you were to ask Uchiha Sasuke if he would fall in love with Uzumaki Naruto, he would kill you for suggesting the very thought that had always pester the back of his mind but never quite make it to the forefront of his concerns.

Now, if you were to ask him if he would defend Konoha, he would respond with a single nod of his head while knowing the only reason would be for his brother. Ask him if he loved Uzumaki Naruto now, and he wouldn't offer any agreement or disagreement with the statement, but if you look closely at his lips you can see him smiling, very softly, which is as good of a "Yes" as you will ever get from him for now.

But, ask him if he ever thought of Naruto dying, or of his clan and what had occurred within its ranks, his temper will snap and he will kill you without hesitation...

"Sasuke."

Uchiha Sasuke paused on the thick branch of a pine tree, his right palm pressed onto the dark brown trunk. His black jacket clung tightly to his slim, yet muscular, torso and the collar brushed against the underside of his chin. Midnight black bangs fluttered around his cheeks while shinobi leapt by him, each barely glancing at him before moving forward as he waited for the caller of his name to reach him.

The raven's blood-red eyes scanned the forest floor below his feet, noting that a grey wolf with a stripe of ginger running along its back and a scar on its left flank was running alongside of Akamaru and Inuzuka Kiba. That was Kya. A female wolf with enhanced chakra capability given to her by the Inuzuka Clan, gifted with the ability to extend her claws and make them harder than steel, tipped with poisoned silver and advanced speed and agility. The wolf seemed to notice Sasuke's stare, glancing over her flank and locking her shocking yellow eyes with his before returning to focusing on her chase.

And who, exactly, were they chasing? These people and animals in front of Sasuke...the answer lies in nineteen year old Uzumaki Naruto. Sasuke's best friend, rival, and lover. Fighting for his life against the fox demon of Konoha, Kyuubi no Youko, which was breaking past the seal placed upon him by Naruto's father and slowly corrupting Naruto's mind and body until he could be free to wreck havoc once more...

A day had passed since the group had left Konoha in search of Naruto...

A rush of wind on Sasuke's left blew the Uchiha's hair past his chin, and his eyes flicked to the left to see Hyuuga Neji staring at him with pale, pupiless lavender eyes. "What, Neji," Sasuke sighed out and noted that the ANBU's eyebrows pulled together in annoyance. "We need to talk," the brunette said and held out a scroll to Sasuke, the pale parchment tied by a small red string. The seal of Konoha was stamped over the constraint with white wax.

Picking off the small circle and unraveling the scroll, Sasuke glanced forward to see the vanishing figures of the Rookie Nine in front of him. Neji noticed this and pointed at the paper to get Sasuke's attention. "We'll catch up," the ANBU muttered. "This is important." The raven spared Neji a quick glare before returning his eyes to the paper. On it was a detailed black swirl, with kanji spread outward like spokes on a wheel in looping writing.

"This is Naruto's seal, the Shiki Fuujin," Neji explained. His pale, gloved hand pointed at the middle swirl as Sasuke stared. "Shikamaru wanted you to know two things. Killer B is going to be the one redrawing the seal along with Sai and Tsunade-sama. And..." The brunette paused to clear his throat, "...If possible, we are to place another seal on top of the Shiki Fuujin until we return to Konoha. I'll be preforming it along with Hinata-sama. It will observe Naruto's chakra flow and stop it from spiking if the Kyuubi tries something, but it is still a very weak sealing technique. It should buy us some more time to keep Naruto unconscious, however."

Sasuke nodded and continued to stare at the Shiki Fuujin on the paper. "The Uzumaki Clan specialized in seals," Neji began to explain quietly. "The Shiki Fuujin is based off of those skills by the Forth Hokage. The seal Hinata-sama and I plan on using is likewise originating from the Uzumaki Clan, but it is weaker because of the amount of chakra required to preform it in full would kill anyone not of that lineage..."

"Anything else," Sasuke asked flatly and abruptly rolled up the scroll and refastened the red string around it, handing it back to Neji. The Hyuuga shook his head and narrowed his eyes at Sasuke slightly. "I know you're worried," the brunette murmured and turned, facing the direction the others had run off in. "We all are. But, Sasuke...this detached behavior is unacceptable. In order to capture Naruto and the Kyuubi we all need to coordinate together as a whole...and it will not be possible without your corporation. You are the one responsible for putting Naruto under, the key to this mission's success. Do not forget your role."

Neji spoke no more after that and sprung off of the branch, leaving Sasuke staring at his retreating back.

Glowering, Sasuke leapt after the Hyuuga and quickly passed the ANBU up, the chakra pouring into his feet searing the wood below every time he landed on a branch and leaving smoking footsteps in his wake.

Roughly twenty minutes passed after that and the Uchiha had blown past Hinata and Shino, returning to his place right above Kiba and the two canines on the forest floor. Kya was constantly baring her teeth as she ran, and Akamaru seemed to be growing more and more hesitant and fearful with each step; the dog's ears fell flatter against his skill and Sasuke could hear quiet whimpers coming from the dog. "Fifteen kilometers east, guys," Kiba called up and swerved slightly to the right, his voice flat and saddened.

"Hinata, Neji, get ready to go up front," Sasuke called back to the Hyuuga's without looking back and waiting for a reply. Small, tick like bugs began to fly past Sasuke's shoulders and ears with small buzzing noises, hovering in front of his vision briefly before zooming into the space in front of him and vanishing into the trees leaves. Silently, Sasuke kept track to himself of how many miles were left in this trek until they discovered Naruto.

Six miles in and three left to go, Akamaru and Kya suddenly halted as the wolf snarled harshly, digging her paws into the ground. Sasuke paused in the tree he had landed in, concern for Kya, Kiba, and Akamaru warring with the intense drive to save Naruto as soon as possible while Hinata, Neji, and Shino stopped by his right. Glancing over at the Hyuuga pair, the Uchiha saw both of their Byukagan's activated and scanning the treeline ahead while bugs floated around Shino's hooded head.

Hinata suddenly gasped softly and Neji's torso stiffened. "What is it," Sasuke demanded and looked forward as well, Sharnigan active. He saw nothing, mostly likely because he was still too far away from whatever the trio were observing for his eyes to see..."There's a dense concentration of chakra up ahead," Neji muttered. "It almost looks like...lava of some sort," Hinata elaborated quietly. "Bubbling and thick...and _orange_..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"That's the Kyuubi," he muttered angrily. "We know, Sasuke," Neji snapped back. "In ratio to the chakra I'm sensing, it would appear that Naruto's chakra is being sucked inward, inside of the Kyuubi's," Shino added on. "The orange chakra is acting like a vacuum..." "The dogs can sense it too," Kiba called up and glanced at Kya when she growled. "Fine, dog and _wolf_," the brunette muttered and stuck his tongue out at the wolf. "Kiba, focus," Neji ordered.

Sasuke shivered and peered closer through the trees. "What are we waiting for then," he asked. "We need a plan of attack," Shino explained. "It's obvious that Kiba has us all beat when it comes to raw power," Neji murmured, seemingly to himself. "It would make more sense to have him go on first. But the Kyuubi is tricky. Hinata-sama and I need to try and block as many chakra veins in Naruto's body as we can before we attempt any sort of frontal attack...Shino, can your bugs eat away at the Kyuubi's chakra?"

Sasuke watched Shino shake his head slowly. "The chakra is demonic," he explained. "It acts as an acid to anything except its host, and even then that only applies in the first stage of the host's transformation. My bugs would be incinerated before they had a chance to get close enough to eat away at the chakra." Neji's expression became displeased. "Very well," the brunette muttered. Everyone was silent as the Hyuuga continued to think over various plans he had come up with while Sasuke tried to analyze every angle that they could approach Naruto from...

"...Alright, here's the plan," Neji murmured. "Kiba, come up here." The brunette appeared behind Sasuke while the raven turned to face Neji fully. "Hinata-sama and I will start off, attempting to block Naruto's chakra channels. Kiba, when I give the signal you and Akamaru are to go in and try to incapacitate Naruto. Shino, your bugs are going to intercept any chakra bursts Naruto tries to send at us. If it means they get burnt, so be it. Sasuke, when I tell you, you are to try and put Naruto under, whether it's with a genjutsu any sort of attack. Everyone is aware that you are the only one who has a hope of matching Naruto's power."

All of them nodded once at Neji's instructions as Sasuke's fists clenched in anticipation.

"Here we go then," Kiba muttered and returned to the ground, but not sitting atop of Akamaru and instead running alongside the dog while Akamaru and Kya growled in protest of approaching the threat instead of retreating. The group in the trees quickly trailing behind, each of their hands clenched into tight fists as they ran.

Two miles into their run, Sasuke's sharnigan was finally able to see the catostrophe Hinata and Neji had witnessed earlier.

Just as they had said, a massive bubble of orange chakra was reaching through the gaps in the leaves in front of him, boiling over much like lava and seeming to sear and scorch everything it touched. A small explosion rocked the earth suddenly, and the group in the trees lost their footing on the branches they stood on, tumbling to the ground while Akamaru and Kya yelped in surprise.

Sasuke heard something roar in front of them.

"Let's go," Kiba called urgently and picked himself up, brushing dirt off of his Jonin vest and sprinting ahead. "Kiba, wait!" Neji called futilely, extending his palm out into Kiba's direction before clenching his fingers and pulling his hand back. "The idiot never listens," Shino murmured and stood as well while Sasuke continued his run on the ground, gritting his teeth as the temperature around him noticeably increased and began to burn his skin. A constant gust of warm air brushed against his face, uncomfortably heating his black jacket and blue pants until they were nearly unbearable to wear as underbrush whipped at his skin, while mist-like orange clouded the area in front of his eyes.

His hands then passed through a line of bushes and entered empty, searingly hot air, followed by his torso. Skidding to a halt, Sasuke found himself barely stopping his momentum in time to stop himself from falling into a massive crater that had been carved into the earth. Bits of tree and debris littered the walls of the hole, pieces of smashed boulder jutting out like spikes. Clinging to one of shatters was Kiba, crouched on all fours and snarling at something that was kneeling in the mass of orange that had been growing more and more dense as Sasuke had approached.

Moments later, Hinata appeared at his left side and nearly toppled down into the hole as well, followed by Neji, Shino, Akamaru, and Kya. The two canines snarled, and Sasuke noticed Kya extend her claws as her hackles rose and the fur on her neck stood on end. "Neji. Hinata. Do you see anything?" Sasuke asked over the sound of rushing wind, peering into the dim and seeing a hunched figure within the dense bubble of chakra, but even his sharnigan couldn't identify who the person was.

He did have a fair idea, however.

"...No," Hinata managed to say over the noise, "There's j-just a b-black blur.." Neji seemed to grit his teeth. "Shall we proceed, Hinata-sama?" The brunette asked tensely. Sasuke looked to the side and saw Hinata nod once, her eyes wide. Neji then glanced over at Sasuke. "Make sure Kiba knows when to go in," he said. "What exactly is your signal going to be," Sasuke muttered in reply. "It should be obvious," Neji explained and then leapt forward, Hinata close behind him, their forms quickly vanishing into the orange fog.

Buzzing at Sasuke's right alerted the raven that Shino had sent his bugs into the fray as well, small brown dots entering after Hinata and Neji. "Sasuke," Kiba called up from the spike he was crouching on alongside Kya and Akamaru. "What," the Uchiha replied without taking his eyes off of the mist, every muscle in his body aching to go in and find Naruto. "What's Neji's signal gonna be?"

Sasuke blinked once as a small burst of orange chakra bubbled forward towards him. "You'll know when you see it," he said as a flare of blue, almost white, chakra exploded deep in the mass of the demonic substance in front of them. "They found Naruto," Shino informed quietly as bugs passed back and forth from his body and into the fray. "How bad is the Kyuubi getting," Sasuke murmured back. Shino's fingers twitched as he held his hand in the air to catch some of the bugs flying towards his head.

"...The bugs can't get close enough to tell," the brunette finally replied. "They're getting incinerated. But...Neji and Hinata aren't dead yet. So..." "So that's a good sign," Kiba finished from down below. Shino nodded while Sasuke returned his attention to the orange in front of him. Another white-blue burst expanded within the bubble, and the chakra suddenly seemed to dip inward on itself and shrink, no longer filling the whole of the crater and retreating about four feet.

One more flare inside of the chakra and then the orange receded back another two feet. Something clicked inside of Sasuke's mind and he glanced down at Kiba, suddenly understanding what Neji's signal was. "Kiba, get in there," the Uchiha ordered. "Neji's signal was the chakra shrinking!" Kiba nodded and looked over his shoulder, eyes on Sasuke. "Do you want Kya in there too?" The brunette asked quickly while his legs visibly tensed, preparing to pounce.

"...Yes," Sasuke said slowly and turned his attention to the wolf. "Be careful," he called to the russet and grey canine, who simply snarled in reply and was the first of the trio in the crater to jump forward and into the chakra. The Uchiha's body remained tense as snarls and yowls were added to the sound of sickening pops and bubbling coming from the chakra, as well as soft battle cries that were slowly rising above the noise level. "Still nothing?" He asked of Shino.

The boy seemed to be sweating now, whipping at his brow while soft pants were escaping his lips. Sasuke felt slightly concerned, but brushed it aside as a loud cry of pain shattered through the chakra barrier. "...No, not yet," the brunette managed to grit out. "The chakra is...fading away. Whatever...whatever Neji and Hinata are doing...it's working.."

However, just as Shino finished his sentence, the chakra flared to impossible heights above their heads and arced over the treeline, covering the two in its shadow while a heavy weight slammed into Sasuke's chest, sending him flying back until his back connected with a tree trunk. The base that had stopped Sasuke's fall cracked and toppled back as Sasuke looked up to see a writhing Naruto on his stomach, clawing at empty air and snarling while Kya appeared above the blonde's head, silver claws aimed at Naruto's throat.

"Shit!" Sasuke screamed out as red and black chakra flared from Naruto's arms and burned Sasuke's chest, searing away his jacket and leaving festering blisters on his skin. Pushing away the urge to shove Naruto away, Sasuke instead rolled to the right and fought Naruto's flailing limbs, shoving the boy to the ground just as Kya was about to tear into Naruto's neck.

Naruto was barely recgonizable as Sasuke rolled in the dirt, trying to pin the Jinchūriki down. His blonde hair was becoming overcome with red streaks, fading to black as the crimson reached the tips. Just like the night before, the blonde's eyes were red, but were now rimmed with a deep black much like Gaara's were. His whisker scars were more prominent while flakes of red covered his face, like bits of his skin had peeled away. Long canine teeth poked from Naruto's lips as the blonde snapped his head upward towards Sasuke's neck, seeming to try and rip the raven's throat out.

A long tendril of red chakra was wrapping around Naruto's chest and seemed to be acting like a seperate being, as it shoved Sasuke off of Naruto and crashed him into another tree. A sharp pain lanced up Sasuke's ribcage as his vision became blurry while Kya howled. At first, Sasuke assumed she had done that because he had been injured...but then he saw Naruto leaping at him, his fingernails grown out like claws and a black chakra sphere in his right hand, aimed at the Uchiha's heart.

Sasuke could barely see the blonde come at him, and he tensed his arms in front of him in the shape of an "X" to take the brunt of the blow when a flash of grey and russet jumped in front of him.

There was a bang, and the smell of sizzling flesh, as Sasuke registered that Kya had leapt in front of him.

_"...No!"_ Sasuke shouted, his throat dry from the lack of cool oxygen as Naruto leapt back, growling. The raven dropped to his knees next to Kya, who was laying on her right flank with her left exposed to Sasuke. A large, red gash was cut into her side as she panted heavily, pained whimpers escaping her jaws while her tongue lolled out of her mouth. "Kiba!" Sasuke called desperately as he stared at the wound in his wolf's flank. "Shit, Kya, hang on," he murmured, watching Naruto out of the corner of his eye as the blonde shifted.

In response, the wolf whimpered again and turned her head so her yellow eyes could see Sasuke. His own red and black ones stared back as he read the wolf's emotions, so strong that he could almost hear them as words. Kya was sad, sad that she couldn't have stayed by Sasuke's side longer...but happy that she had had the chance to live with a human such as himself. That her pain was now at an end.

Kya's eyes dulled as her body limped in Sasuke's arms.

Denial built in Sasuke's mind, quickly followed by fury as he slowly raised his head to glare at Naruto, a trail of blood running down his left cheek from his eye...like he was crying blood. A burst of black flames extended from his throat and into the air, aimed at Naruto. The blonde was unable to dodge the attack, and pained screams were elicited from Naruto's mouth as he collapsed to the ground, yowling like an animal and clawing at the fire that crawled over his body.

Setting Kya's body down gently, Sasuke then leapt forward and, ignoring the pain of burns and broken ribs, jumped onto Naruto's body and extinguished the Amaterasu, once more pinning Naruto's arms down and staring into the blonde's red eyes. A crimson tear dropped from Sasuke's left eye onto Naruto's cheek while the two stared at each other. Reaching his right fist back past his head, Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "_Wake. Up!_" He shouted and punched Naruto across his left cheek, snapping the blonde's head to the side.

A low growl came in reply, and Sasuke once more was shoved off of Naruto, scrambling backwards and leaping up with chakra in his feet just as Naruto's fist punched through the empty air he had been standing in just seconds before. Panting, Sasuke's sharnigan eyes scanned the forest floor, the raven feeling suspicious of the blonde's lack of presense. "Fuck you!" A voice shouted behind Sasuke, and he turned to see Naruto launching at him from the other end of the branch he was crouched on.

Sasuke leapt back into a backflip and kicked his legs forward, feeling his left foot kick Naruto's chin while he pushed off of his palms and landed on the soles of his feet. The Jinchūriki was just getting off of his back as the Uchiha stared at him for a few moments, then pulled his katana out of its holster and let a surge of blue chakra crackle along the blade.

Pushing off of his right foot, Sasuke ran at Naruto while the blonde growled, an extension of red chakra pushing out of the Jinchūriki's body and moving to the right of the raven. Leaping up, the Uchiha twisted in the air and extended his katana at Naruto's back as he landed behind him, his momentum pushing him forward just as Naruto dodged his attempt at a stab. Naruto then turned around and twisted his right arm under Sasuke's, gripping the raven's shoulder and lifting him into the air, flinging him over the blonde's head and onto the branch. The wood shivered but did not give way as Sasuke stood and wiped blood from the corner of his lip.

More chakra filled Sasuke's katana and he once more pointed it at Naruto, forming a blue-white spear that then launched at the blonde's chest. Naruto dodged the attack and crouched onto all fours, more skin suddenly peeling from his body and floating into the air around him before disintegrating into nothing. The red tendril that was wrapped around Naruto's body suddenly landed on the blonde's left, forming two arms and legs while mimicking the Jinchūriki's stance.

A small growl sounded from the blonde as he then ran forward, barely giving Sasuke time to raise his blade and parry the vicious claws that were slashing at his chest. His eyes connected with Naruto's just as a red hand shoved into the side of the raven's face, pushing him off of the tree and onto the ground. _The chakra is acting seperately of Naruto's body, _The Uchiha noted while Naruto followed his descent downward and landed a few feet from his body, the red form still intent on crushing Sasuke's throat while he backflipped away. _Just like before..._

His mind flashed through vague memories of fighting a twelve year old Naruto in a similar state as this.

_Gotta trick both of them at once then. The Kyuubi can't get out. _Sasuke clenched his jaw as he glanced behind his shoulder at Kya's body before returning his attention to Naruto and the forming figure of the Kyuubi. Another memory passed through his head, of Naruto underneath him and the moonlight shining on his face as he whispered the Uchiha's name...

Sasuke tightened his hold on his katana.

Aiming the blade upward at the sky, Sasuke briefly surged more chakra into the blade as he reached into his weapons holster and pulled out six kunai, throwing them forward so that they landed in a straight line, aimed at Naruto. The blonde and the red chakra figure growled as Sasuke flung two more kunai at them, connected to each other with steel wire that lashed around the blonde's torso and sent him into a tree trunk, tying the blonde to the wood.

The red Kyuubi form snarled and began to advance on Sasuke as he brought the crackling blade of his katana down onto the loop of a kunai just at his feet.

Lightning burst from the steel and onto the dagger, jumping from one kunai to the other and extending at Naruto, passing through the red Kyuubi and causing the figure to howl before collpasing to the side just as the lightning hit the wire tying Naruto to the tree. Pained screams ripped from Naruto's lips as the blonde was electrocuted, Sasuke sprinting forward and launching himself at Naruto again with enough force to break the tree and several behind it, sending it to the ground in a cloud of dust, twigs, and leaves.

Coughing, Sasuke raised himself up on his palms as he again stared into Naruto's enraged eyes and winced as the burns on his chest flared. Focusing all of his chakra into his eyes, the raven attempted to pull Naruto's mind into a genjutsu. The blonde's crimson eyes dulled slightly and started to close while Sasuke's heart pounded. The only noises he could hear were the Kyuubi's screams, his own blood in his ears, and Naruto's heavy breathing...

Naruto's eyes closed fully as his body relaxed under Sasuke's...it was over.

Sasuke continued to hover above Naruto, making sure the blonde was unconscious as the Kyuubi's wails diminished to nothing behind him, the red and orange chakra diminishing from the blonde's torso and folding inward on itself, back into Naruto's stomach. Exhaustion rushed over Sasuke at the sudden drop of his chakra, and his arms gave way under him and sending him falling on top of Naruto.

A small groan of pain escaped his mouth when his broken ribs and raw skin were shoved onto Naruto's chest while the side of his face was pressed into the blonde's chest. Laying there, Sasuke could hear Naruto's heart beating under his ear and feel Naruto's chest rise and fall with every breath he took.

Footsteps were approaching quickly, the raven noted, but he was too tired to lift himself off of Naruto and greet them. He heard a soft voice that was a lot like Hinata's call his name, as well as...Kiba's voice, curse and say something about Kya...

Kya.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open just as they were about to close and focused on Hinata's worried lavender gaze, her Byukugan dormant and blood trickling down from her forehead to her chin. "Sasuke-kun," she said and shook his shoulder, sending waves of pain down the raven's spine. The Uchiha groaned and managed to push himself off of Naruto's body, fatigue weighing his limbs down while Hinata helped him lay down on the forest floor.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto...is he unconscious?" The Hyuuga heiress asked once Sasuke was still. His throat too dry to respond, Sasuke simply nodded in reply. Hinata's eyes briefly flickered above Sasuke's body and he saw sorrow pass through her gaze before she returned back to the raven. "I'm going to h-heal the burns," she murmured. "I...you definitely have s-some broken ribs...maybe a punctured lung...but I d-doubt that. Your spine might be bruised...but other than that a-and chakra exhaustion...you should be able to get back to Konoha f-f-fine.."

Sasuke nodded and let his mind drift while Hinata healed the worst of his wounds.

Once she was done, he sat up noticably easier, suddenly remembering something. "Shit, Kya," he gasped out and stood, ignoring Hinata's surprised gasp and suggestion that he should stay lying down, running towards Kiba and Akamaru. The two were huddled around a grey mass on the leaves cluttering the ground, the white dog whimpering and yowling while Kiba's blood and sweat streaked face was pulled into a frustrated and sad expression.

"Is she...is she alright," Sasuke panted demandingly while he stopped by Kiba's left shoulder. The brunette slowly glanced up at Sasuke...and shook his head in denial.

_8-8-8-8-8-8_

"She died protecting you, man," Kiba said softly from Sasuke's right as Akamaru finished kicking the last of the dirt over the pit that was now Kya's grave. A crimson and yellow sun was just setting over the Fire Country, shadows pulling from the bases of the tall trees surrounding them as well as the one Kya was now buried under. Yellow buttercups and white clovers that Hinata had picked were planted all around the grave, along with a single red rose Neji had managed to find among the debris created by the crater the Kyuubi had made earlier, laying on top of the area where the wolf's head would be.

Neji's hand gently clasped onto Sasuke's shoulder as the raven stared blankly at the freshly turned dirt in front of him. Kya had been there for him through everything in the past three years, on every mission and listening every time he ranted about Naruto, Itachi, or whatever the fuck he wanted...and now she was gone. "She may not have been trained to be one, but she was one hell of a ninja dog...wolf," Kiba murmured, seeming to forget the fact that Kya had been a wolf. Sasuke snorted softly as he remembered how agitated Kya would get whenever Kiba referred to her as a dog.

"We should s-start heading back," Hinata said softly from behind the trio. She was busy making sure Naruto stayed unconscious as well as healing the wounds the Kyuubi, along with the rest of the group, had inflicted upon him. Kiba and Neji stepped back while Sasuke stayed in place, Akamaru rubbing against his side briefly. "Need a few minutes?" Neji asked. Sasuke nodded.

Once everyone had left him, Sasuke knelt down onto on leg and stared forward at the grave in front of him. His throat felt choked as he imagined Kya standing on top of the dirt in front of him, yellow eyes flaring and her claws extending from her paws. "Thank you...for everything," he murmured, and then stood up again. "Goodbye...Kyabi."

Turning, Sasuke didn't look back as he approached the group behind him while his eyes landed on Naruto's burnt and bruised body. "I'll carry him back," he said. The others seemed to understand that statement was not a request; it was a demand.

Leaning down, the Uchiha gently picked Naruto up in his arms and let the blonde's head rest against his bare chest as they made their way back to Konoha, a remnant of blood dripping from Sasuke's eye and splashing down onto Naruto's cheek.


	2. Sting like a Bee

Chapter Two: Sting like a Bee

**Killer B**

A long, empty dirt path lined with ancient trees stretched in front of the Jinchūriki of the Hachibi, his long red scarf draped over his shoulder and his white Kumogakure hitai-ate tied around his forehead. His blonde, slightly grey hair was slicked back and he still wore his greenish-blue goggles, while his khaki leather vest clung to his muscled frame.

The blonde-haired man was staring down at his rhyming journal, tapping a red pencil against his chin as he walked while he attempted to complete his latest rap, which he considered to be one of his best yet. However, finding a word that rhymed with "orange" was proving to be rather difficult...

The reason behind the Jinchūriki writing this rap was simple. Considering Uzumaki Naruto was apparently in a little bit of trouble, the eight-tails container had been asked to pitch in and help reform the guy's seal. The boy had managed to visit B on several occasions, never staying with the man for more than four days before departing from the dark cave he trained in.

The blonde's chakra had always seemed slightly off to B, and the request from the Hokage of Konoha that had arrived to his brother A, a mere two days ago, only confirmed the Jinchūriki's suspicion that something was not right with Naruto. He stuck his tongue past his lips as he walked, writer's block breaking his concentration while he stared at the miles of blank road before him.

He was supposed to be travelling fast; Konoha was expected to be under siege in less than a day according to Tsunade's report, and B was needed to assist the sealing as soon as possible. But it was such a nice day out, and rarely was he able to feel the sun on his skin, considering his training grounds were in a deep mountain valley covered with clouds and fog...

Five solid thumps on the ground in front of B brought him out of his thoughts.

Looking up, the Jinchūriki saw five Zetsus standing in front of him, except these appeared to be different from the standard white, chalky skin, green hair, and yellow eyes of the tree beings. The right half of their bodies were enveloped in a dense black, including their hair, and their right eyes glowed a menacing red. Their left sides were a deep, forest green while their eyes were a bright purple, their hair on that side a light brown.

All five had spikes that seemed to grow out of the outside of their forearms, seeming to act as miniature scythes while their calves had more spikes growing out of them. As B stared at them, the one off to the very right grinned and revealed a glistening set of white, sharpened teeth, the points meshing together inside of its mouth and reminding him of a piranha.

Snorting, B snapped his book shut with his left hand and shoved his pencil into his pocket. Doing the same with his red journal, he then returned his gaze to the unusual Zetsu in front of him and crossed his arms. "Yo," he greeted and smiled while keeping track of the five creatures as they shuffled towards him. The one in the middle seemed to smile, the corners of its lips curving upward as it stalked forward.

"Are you...the Hachibi Jinchūriki," it hissed while B's grin turned into a frown. "Maybe...or maybe not," the man said. "We'll...just have to tesssst you," a Zetsu to B's right muttered lowly, drawing out the "s'" like a snake. B shrugged. "Go ahead, take a shot," he replied and mentally complimented himself on his rhyme. He had stopped talking in riddles a year ago, but sometimes the habit broke and he rhymed a sentence or two...

"I'm sure that you'll miss."

One Zetsu charged forward from B's left side, swinging around in a wide arc on the path and trying to blindside the Jinchūriki. B put his book back into his pants pocket calmly before drawing one of his many katanas from his back, spinning and placing his palm on the pummel of the sword. Then he ducked as the Zetsu leapt at him, twisting in mid-air and shoving his blade into the creature's stomach, then releasing a burst of chakra that fried the creature's mind and left it skewed and lifeless on the katana like a kabob.

Standing up, B brushed some dirt from the front of his vest while holding up his prize. "Anyone else?" He asked. The Zetsu that had been standing in the middle suddenly smiled and leaned forward. "Are you sssso ssssure you have defeated him?" The creature hissed and pointed to the Zetsu on B's katana. "You doubtin' me?" He asked in reply, arching an eyebrow upward and leaning back onto his right leg. "He's dead, as you can see."

The Zetsus started to laugh. B was about to comment on their mirth when he noticed movement on his katana. Flicking his gaze to his blade, he saw purple and red eyes staring back at him and a pitch black foot kicking at his face. Before the supposedly dead Zetsu had a chance to strike the man, B quickly flicked his wrist up and launched the thing from his katana, just as the other Zetsus began to charge him.

Blocking a punch to his abdomen, the Jinchūriki skidded back in the dirt and dug his heels into the ground while he drew on the Hachibi's chakra, forming two tentacles over his arms. Sighing, he then wrapped one tentacle around a Zetsu charging at him and flung it into another that was trying to flank him. "Guess ya'll haven't heard my motto yet!" The Jinchūriki called as he and the Hachibi began to merge.

"Float like a butterfly...and sting like a Bee!"

* * *

**Shikamaru**

"It's been four days. Where are they?"

Shikamaru didn't respond while Ino approached his back, their shadows stretching far in front of their figures, outside of the Konoha Gates that they were stood in front of. "Most likely either still tracking Naruto or bringing him back," the ANBU finally said, answering Ino's question. Then his brown eyes flicked to his former teammate's figure. The blonde had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, her bangs falling over her right eye, just as she had been wearing it since their Academy days.

A purple, skin-tight and sleeveless tank top covered her torso, three white lines running from the left side of her shirt to her navel. She was also wearing a long, Chinese-style skirt that was slitted on the sides. Her left arm was covered in small metal bracelets with blue and white beads set into their frames.

"I hope they're okay," Ino said softly, crossing her arms while the duo stared out onto the open dirt road that led out of the village."Akamaru and Kya are the best tracker animals we have ever seen," Shikamaru replied. "Sasuke's the best genjutsu user we have. They're going to be fine." Ino snorted. "I like how you didn't mention Neji, Kiba, or Shino," she said. Shikamaru shrugged. "They all have their talents," he said.

"I probably could have just sent Sasuke on this mission. He would've tracked down Naruto just fine...but he needs the company, whether he wants it or not..." Ino seemed to spare a glance at him. "Are those two really in love with each other?" The blonde questioned while Shikamaru shifted his stance. He scratched behind his ear for a few seconds, then put both of his arms behind his back. "I guess," he muttered finally.

"Those two have been in love for years. It's too troublesome for me to pay attention to."

Ino seemed to sigh. "I...suppose you're right," she replied softly. Shikamaru continued to stare out onto the road in front of them, then sighed. "What is it?" Ino asked. Shikamaru shook his head. "B was supposed to be here two days ago," he murmured. "The Zetsu invasion has alredy begun, and he was meant to help restore the seal as soon as Sasuke and the rest returned with Naruto."

"You don't think he's injured, do you?" The blonde questioned, worry seeping into her tone. Shikamaru shook his head once. "From what I've gathered, the guy is very...unyielding," he murmured. "Even if he had been ambushed, I don't think he wouldn't have escaped somehow, or dispatched his attackers. He's probably-" "Shhh," Ino interrupted suddenly, reaching with her left arm to grip Shikamaru's right and pointing forward, out of the gates and out of Konoha, peering forward towards the road.

A figure was approaching quickly from the distance.

Shikamaru stiffened instantly while extending his shadow ever so slightly. With the rest of the world on the brink of war once more, as well as the threat of the Kyuubi...he wasn't about to relax until he knew who was making their way towards the Village Hidden in the Leaves. "Shikamaru," Ino said, seemingly noticing him offensive stance. Shaking his head slightly, Shikamaru kept his eyes on the person. "Be ready in case this guy isn't...friendly," he muttered in reply.

A quick burst of red enveloped the figure as it approached.

* * *

**Neji**

A campfire burned merrily inside a circle of rocks and pebbles as Neji examined the paper maps strewn on the grass in front of him. Crickets chirped as a stream nearby bubbled, a a cool breeze brushing the brunette's ponytail across his back. There were three maps in front of him; the one directly across from him was one of the entire Fire Country, with two red circles on the western edge of the parchment, a small line connecting the duo.

The map on the left was more of a diagram that he and Hinata had drawn up of Naruto's chakra system, in order to maintain the balance of Sasuke's chakra, along with Hinata's in Naruto's body, they had to keep track of which veins were closed, which ones had which chakra inside of them, and so on. The last map on the right was of Konoha's city structure. Tapping his finger against his chin absentmindedly, Neji placed his left palm on top of the final map and traced his index finger lightly over the black ink that made up the outer walls while staring at the center of the village, where the Hokage Tower was marked with a small square and a star inside of it.

"Need any help?"

The Hyuuga's pale eyes glanced up from the parchment to see Kiba striding towards him, hitai-ate gone from his forehead and his arms crossed over his chest. Shrugging, the brunette returned his eyes to the maps as Kiba sat down across from him with his back to the fire. "I don't see what I would need help with," Neji murmured as he brought the diagram of Naruto's chakra system to the center of the ground before him, "I am merely studying..."

Kiba snorted. "You've been 'studying' for the past hour and a half," the dog-nin replied and reached forward, his hand entering Neji's line of sight for a brief moment before retracting again with Naruto's system in grasp. "Besides, I think Hinata's got Naruto under control anyway," he said. "You don't need to be looking at this anymore." Neji glared at the brunette. "Give that back," he said coolly, keeping his eyebrow from twitching as it normally did when he became agitated.

"Get some rest man," Kiba said with a shake of his head. Neji rolled his eyes. "You came over here asking if I needed help, and now you're taking the material I 'need help' with," he retorted. "Yeah, when I asked if you need help, I meant that. Get some rest, I'll take over this." Neji closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead as a headache became apparent. "You don't even know what I'm doing," he muttered back. "Staring at some papers?" Kiba asked and laughed as Neji reached across the space dividing them to smack him across the head.

"Hey, keep it down."

Both Neji and Kiba looked to the side and saw Sasuke leaning over Naruto's unconscious form, onyx eyes narrowed in a glare as Hinata watched the Uchiha worriedly from above the blonde's head. Dark rings ran under the raven's eyes, a sign that he hadn't slept in the past two days, and his normally "unstyled" hair was in disarray due to the many times he had run his fingers through it in exasperation and worry.

"...If anyone needs sleep, he does," Neji whispered to Kiba as Sasuke returned his attention to Naruto. "Yeah, but I don't want him chopping off my arm," Kiba replied quietly while they watched Hinata extend her palms over Naruto's chest, light green chakra enveloping her fingers while Sasuke stared at the Jinchūriki's face with a blank stare.

Neji's eyes slowly analyzed his cousin's form, and he found her condition was nearly as bad as Sasuke's; her normally sleek and smooth hair was frazzled, in knots billowing down her back while her clothes and parts of her skin were caked with dirt. The brunette could tell from her movements that she too was exhausted, her limbs shaking with every slight move she took and her shoulders sagging.

"When was the last time Hinata-sama took a break?" Neji asked Kiba as the brunette yawned. The Hyuuga looked over to see the dog-nin frowning as he stared at Hinata. "I don't think she has," he whispered. "Why hasn't she asked me to take over watching him," Neji hissed while he stood, intending to make Hinata sleep and have something to drink. "Neji," Kiba said in warning.

The brunette looked down to see Kiba glaring at him, teeth slightly bared. "Hinata...she wants to take care of Naruto," he explained. Neji shook his head. "She is your...girlfriend, is she not?" He retorted. "You are supposed to care for her. What sort of spouse are you if you cannot care for your loved one? Just like Sasuke and Naruto."

Kiba winced, and for a moment Neji didn't understand why until he noticed the dog-nin nod in his direction. Looking over his shoulder, the brunette saw Sasuke staring at him sadly, his right hand clasped around Naruto's while the other was on the blonde's forehead, chakra pouring from the Uchiha'a fingertips and flowing over the Jinchūriki's skin.

Sasuke nodded slightly when he noticed Neji staring at him guiltily. "Yes Neji," the Uchiha murmured softly, "What sort of spouse am I...if I cannot care for my loved one?" His hand tightened slightly around Naruto's as a tense silence filled the campsite. Blinking, Neji spared a glance at his cousin to see her focusing almost too intently on the small scratches covering Naruto's bare chest before returning his attention to Sasuke.

"I didn't mean it like that, Sasuke," Neji said slowly as he faced the raven fully. "Of course you didn't," Sasuke sneered in reply. "After all, you were talking to Kiba, not to me. Why should I be bothered?" Neji sighed. "Sasuke," he began, "What I meant was that unlike Kiba, you are doing everything you can to protect the person you care about."

"Oi!" Kiba exclaimed angrily and leapt to his feet, his hand clasping on Neji's shoulder. Shrugging it off, the brunette stepped forward so that he was right behind Hinata. "Hinata-sama," Neji murmured softly. "Allow me to watch over Naruto for the night. You need your rest."

Hinata didn't acknowledge her clanmate until he gently grasped her arm and pulled her up. She spun sharply and drew her hand back, palm flat to slap Neji across the face until she noticed what she was doing. With a soft gasp, her hand fell to the side and her glare fell into a shocked expression as Neji stared at her. "Get some rest," Neji repeated and softly pushed her in Kiba's direction before kneeling in front of Naruto and activating his Byukugan, watching Naruto's chakra move sluggishly amongst the Kyuubi's, his own, Hinata's, and Sasuke's.

"...Did you mean what you said?"

Neji glanced up at Sasuke. "I'm sorry?" He asked. "Did you mean what you said, earlier...about me," the Uchiha murmured, his eyes still staring at Naruto's face. Breathing deeply, Neji nodded once. "...Yes," he confirmed verbally. "Hn." The brunette smiled softly at Sasuke's trademark phrase before returning his full attention to Naruto's chakra.

"He will be fine, you know," the brunette then said as he stared. "Naruto...he's stronger than all of us think. He will live through this." Sasuke didn't reply, but Neji didn't miss the soft sound of water hitting flesh, nor the small gasp for air that came from the Uchiha's direction.

"...I know," the raven finally murmured as Kiba began to coax Hinata to eat.

* * *

I'm soooo so so so so sorry I haven't updated recently! *offers cookie* here's my excuse...marching band started two weeks ago, and I've been soooo busy with that. Plus, school starts in two days (JUNIOR YEAR FRICK YEAH!) so I've been getting ready for that. I apologize for this chapter being so short, I've been working on it on and off for the past two weeks. So, I have some good and bad news...which do you wanna hear first?

Right.

Bad news it is.

So...get used to this kind of random, spaced out updating schedule. This school year is extremely important for me so I have to devote more of my time to my schoolwork and my musical rehearsals than I can for my stories. At some points I may not update for months, but I am promising you right here and now that I will always come back! I don't want to be one of those authors that leaves you hanging in the middle of a story :c

Also, expect the chapters to be shorter too. Not as short as this chapter is, because it is around 2,000+ words, but certainly not the 8,000+ my chapters have been as of late. I value the saying "quality over quantity", however I feel with my stories I need to get the "quantity" out fast in order to keep the fanbase happy.

But! The good news is that I can still write A LOT more. Now, that may confuse you because I just said I don't have a lot of time to update. But the key-word there is **update**. Now, I can write multiple chapters ahead and have those ready for publishing when I have the chance :) so yeah! Now I can get more out at a...er..."faster" pace, and maybe focus on the quality a bit more.

Please forgive me for not updating anything in a while though, as I said I've been extremely busy lately and I feel really bad for not doing anything on here for a while. Anyways, toodles!


	3. Quarantine

So...I've been thinking over this for quite some time now...originally, this story was eventually going to lead to Naruto getting pregnant. I don't want to explain how because I've decided on something. This story, Crimson Tears, is going to be a hell of a lot shorter than its predecessor Crimson Eyes is, so here's what I have for you guys:

For those of you who want to read the storyline as it is now, then continue with this part of Crimson Tears.

For those of you who want to read the storyline where Naruto becomes pregnant, either look on my profile for the story that is entitled "Crimson Tears: Mpreg edition" or click/copy and paste the link right here: s/9618299/1/Crimson-Tears-Mpreg-Edition

Now don't worry, there's still gonna be plenty of SasuNaru in each portion, it just so happens that in the Mpreg edition, Sasuke and Naruto will be slightly more OOC than normal (Naruto because of the hormones, and Sasuke because fuck it, it's my story and I'll do what I want!). The storylines will also be the same up until this point. Each chapter up until this point is the same, as well. Chapter three is where the storylines diverge into their own separate things.

Also, one story may be longer than the other because of the way the plot goes, but I promise it'll still be worth it. The Mpreg edition may take a while for me to a) write the chapters and b) upload them, at least compared to how I'll update this story and my other multi-chapter fics. But bear with me, it just takes time to make a quality product. So again, this story is the NON MPREG EDITION. I repeat, _** THIS IS THE NON MPREG EDITION. THIS IS THE SASUNARU FANFICTION "CRIMSON TEARS" WITH NO MPREG. **_So yup. Hope ya'all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Three: Quarantine

_Three years ago..._

Warm wind stirred against the back of Naruto's neck as he sat, cross-legged, on a disc of sand hurtling low over the dunes and hills of the Suna desert. A cocoa-brown robe encased his torso, while a white piece of cloth was wrapped over his head and covered his blonde and red hair, some of which poked out from under the wrap and was plastered to his forehead with the sweat from the pounding heat of the mid-day sun.

Turning his head to the right, the blonde saw Gaara sitting likewise on another sand disc, a long white scarf around his neck as well as a maroon jacket with buckles wrapping around the front, his sleeves ending at his wrists while black pants covered his legs. The former Jinchūriki's eyes were closed, giving the appearance that he was sleeping as they flew. But Naruto knew better. Flying this many people on sand took an enormous amount of focus and chakra control that was, at one point, beyond Naruto's capability.

Glancing to the left, Naruto saw Temari and Kankuro each on their own sand boards; Temari was dressed in a light purple tanktop that was cut off just above her navel while her enormous metal fan was strapped to her back by a strip of leather that hung off of her left shoulder and wrapped around her right hip. A purple skirt that went down to just above her knees left just her kneecaps exposed before her shins were covered with fishnet stockings and shinobi boots that went to her midcalf.

Kankuro was dressed similar to Naruto, in a brown robe that looked innocent enough, if you didn't know that inside of those wraps were hundreds of poison kunai and small puppets that could kill you instantly. He had grown out his hair into a small ponytail that he had tied behind his back, the tips of it reaching the middle of his shoulder-blades while his main puppet was strapped to his back in a similar fashion to Temari's fan.

"Oi, Gaara!" Naruto shouted and returned to looking at his red-headed friend. The only indication that Gaara gave to show he had heard the blonde was a slight nod. "How much farther are we goin'!? We've been flying for six hours!"

"It's been two hours, Naruto," Temari corrected, shouting so she could be heard over the howling wind. Naruto rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to counter the blonde's correction, only to splutter, gag, and cough as a moth flew into his mouth. Hearing Kankuro's baritone laugh, the Jinchūriki spat the bug out and rubbed at his tongue while glaring at his feet. _I thought these damn bugs only came out at night, _he thought in annoyance.

"It feels like six!" Naruto shouted back to the blonde and finished his spluttering, turning back to Gaara once more. "So, how much farther?" He yelled again, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound. A non-existant eyebrow seemed to twitch above Gaara's left eye, but the redhead didn't move from his position, however Naruto's sand disc began to soften ever so slightly and left the blonde starting to fall to the ground.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto clawed his fingers into the outter part of the disc that was still solid and shook his head as gritty pieces of soil flew into his eyes. "Shit, Gaara! Are you _trying_ to kill me!?" the blonde shrieked, and then loosened his muscles as the disc solidifyed under him once more. Glaring over at his friend, the Jinchūriki could have sworn he saw a smirk on the damn smug jerk's face, but he couldn't be sure, due to the speed they were travelling at.

Sighing, Naruto returned his gaze to the tan and yellow ground below and watched their shadows traveling over the landscape, occasionally spotting a lizard or even the occasional lion or vulture seeming to flash by in a blur of color. At least, it would have been a blur of color, if it weren't for the Kyuubi's chakra...

It almost felt like the sweltering hot temperature of the desert dropped fifty degrees at the the mere thought of the demon fox to Naruto. It was true that the Kyuubi had begun to influence Naruto even when it wasn't in control of his body; for example, his senses were heightened beyond human capacity, and even a trained shinobi would have trouble conditioning their bodies to be able to sense like this.

His eyesight could be compared to, and even said to surpass, that of the Uchiha Clan's Sharnigan, his sense of smell past that of the Inuzuka Clan, his hearing and sense of touch and taste as well. It made him sick to know that he wasn't even fully human anymore...rather, part human, part blood-thirsty man-eating hatred-filled fox.

Naruto seriously doubted that would become a species.

But it has its perks too; if someone planned on ambushing Naruto, he would know well ahead of time and be prepared for them. There was quite the market out there for Jinchūriki's. "Oi, Naruto!" A shout broke Naruto from his musings, his mind snapping back to the present and finding that all four of them were slowly descending downward.

Turning his head in the direction of Kankuro's voice, the blonde blinked as he saw a cave opening come into view just under his own disc, pitch black in contrast to the vast tans and beiges of the desert landscape. "Yeah, 'bout time we landed!" the Jinchūriki yelled back. The cool shadow of the cave soon enveloped his form, and with a sigh Naruto leapt off of his disc when the group was less than nine feet above the ground, dust billowing around his feet once he crouched on the cold stone.

"Show-off," the blonde heard Temari mutter, along with the swish of sand grains fluttering past each other and three pairs of feet touch the ground in succession. Grinning, the Jinchūriki turned to the Wind-style user and stuck his middle finger up at her, the blonde's eyebrow twitching above her eye at the gesture. "You little brat," Temari hissed and stepped forward with her hand on one of the metal bars of her fan, and for a moment Naruto genuinely thought she was going to attack him until Gaara stepped in front of the pair with his back to the blonde.

"Enough," Gaara commanded quietly with a trail of sand leaking from his gourd, wrapping around both Naruto's torso and Temari's, restraining them. "Oi!" Naruto complained and wiggled uncomfortably as the sand tightened. "I didn't do anything!" "You provoked her," Gaara retorted softly, "And she was going to attack you. You would have risen to the challenge, and then this cave would be gone in seconds. Along with the rest of us that don't have a murderous demon inside of us that may roam as it pleases."

Naruto managed to keep himself from flinching at the thinly veiled mention of his lack of control over the Kyuubi, but he couldn't stop the glare that narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at Gaara, who still hadn't turned to face him. "And Temari," Gaara continued as his sand loosened around the pair, "Do not let Naruto get to you. He means no harm in the childish things he does." "Are you defending me or trying to kick me while I'm down," Naruto grumbled and rubbed at his stomach, feeling a very painful bruise forming already.

The comment was ignored, and instead Gaara turned to his brother, who was leaning against one of the cave walls and watching the display with curiosity and amusement. "You and Temari will guard the entrance," the redhead murmured, Kankuro nodding once and signaling for his sister to follow as he went to leave the damp cave. Watching the pair leave, Naruto heard the swish of cloth against stone and looked to see Gaara sitting cross-legged on the stone below his feet.

"Sit," the Kazekage offered. Nodding, Naruto sat cross-legged across from the former Jinchūrki while folding his arms across his lap. For a few minutes, Gaara was silent, eyes closed and breathing even until he finally sighed and opened his sea-green eyes to stare at Naruto. "There was a point in my life, where even resting my eyes could mean the death of everyone around me," the redhead said, his tone flat.

"I am sure it is the same for you now, correct?" Slowly, Naruto nodded. "I...can't force the Kyuubi to behave, nor can I repair your seal. That is beyond my capacity. I can, however, understand. I understand what you are going through. A beast constantly whispering in your head and promising to escape the moment you slip is a...very terrifying thing. I can teach you how to defy it, and how to counter anything it may attempt. But it will require your upmost concentration and desire to succeed. Understood?"

"Yes," Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm your friend Gaara, not some first year student at the Academy that you're trying to scare the shit out of. Tone down the seriousness." Gaara frowned as wind rushed quietly into the cave. "This is serious, Naruto," the Kazekage said sternly. "You of all people understand the damage a Jinchūriki can cause when they are not in control of their Bijuu. This problem needs to end, now, before it becomes something that can only be solved by killing you."

Naruto stiffened at the mention of that. "What do you mean, 'can only be solved by killing you'?" He asked tensely. "Exactly what I said, Naruto. The only way to incapacitate a Bijuu is to kill their host, or them. They will then lie dormant for a period of time before being reborn, and if they are captured before that point then a new Jinchūriki is created for it. I thought Lady Chiyo explained this to you."

"She explained what a Jinchūriki is," Naruto mutter and wrapped his robe tighter around his body, then shook his head. "Look, are we going to train or what." Nodding, Gaara seemed to relax his shoulders. "Close your eyes," the Kazekage demanded, Naruto lifting an eyebrow above his head in confusion. "You're not gonna stab me or something are you," he asked doubtfully. "Focus, Naruto," Gaara snapped and narrowed his eyes dangerously, chakra flaring ever so slightly.

Yelping quietly, Naruto did as instructed and closed his eyes. "Now, focus on your breathing. Keep it even. Slow." "This is meditation, Gaara, not training." "It is training to keep your mind clear and in control. Now shut up and focus."

Sighing, Naruto complied and focused only on his breathing, hearing the wind outside and the small murmurs of Kankuro and Temari, but only distantly as he sat completely still. It was quite relaxing, in all honestly...

Maybe he could just sleep for a few minutes, Gaara wouldn't notice...

A red sea opened before his closed eyes.

Screaming, Naruto's arms flailed as his skin felt as if it were being burnt from the inside out and evil laughter filled his head, pounding like a miner would on stone. Distantly, someone was shouting his name and two others were asking something, but Naruto couldn't even comprehend it all through the haze of pain that was beating him, over, and over, and over...

Something hard connected with the blonde's back, but he couldn't even focus on that dull ache when it was compared to the indescribable torture racking his frame every second, like something was eating him alive and setting him on fire at the same time. Thrashing, something grasped his wrist and he screamed again as the fire in his hand flared, rising up and searing whatever had touched him.

"...Naruto! Open your eyes...! You need to wake up! _Wake up!_..."

Gasping and feeling tears on his cheeks, Naruto slowly opened his eyes, seeing briefly Gaara's scared face in front of his own before the red substance surrounding his limbs grew in heat and he screamed, he screamed and he closed his eyes and hoped it would all just be a horrific nightmare...

Flailing again, Naruto felt his hand connect with something, then heard the cracking of bone that made his blood run cold despite the heat running in his veins. Opening his eyes again, he saw Gaara now in the other side of the cave, blood trickling from the corner his lips and a pool of crimson forming on the front of the brown robe he wore. "Gaa...ra..." The blonde whispered and tried to step forward, shouting in agony again as the pain rushed his legs and felt like thousands of knives were being stabbed up and down his body.

Hearing Kankuro and Temari rush to Gaara, the blonde curled into a fetal position on the floor and scratched at his face as what he now identified as red chakra burst from his body once more, the temperature in the cave rising to impossible levels and making the pain all the worse.

"Naruto!...Lock it...away...the Kyuubi...controlling...don't let it!"

Screaming and feeling his throat ache, Naruto reached deep inside of himself and found the cage of the demon fox, the doors swung open and the Kyuubi himself pacing around the room and laughing. Groaning, Naruto formed a seal with one hand and whispered one word as an image appeared in his mind, an image of a person dressed in a white shirt and blood red eyes pushing the Kyuubi away...

_"Sasuke..."_

* * *

**Sasuke**

A whisper on the wind had Sasuke pausing in his run, glancing over his shoulder at the trees in the background. "What's wrong?" Kiba asked from the raven's left. "...I thought I heard someone say my name," the Uchiha said quietly and looked back at the brunette staring at him. "Uh, alright then," Kiba replied and patted Akamaru's flank, telling the white dog to turn around and start running once more. Shaking his head, the Uchiha followed and shifted Naruto's weight in his arms, which had long since grown numb since they had left their camp that morning.

It was roughly half a day's journey from where they had stopped the night before until they reached Konoha, and so far Neji had indicated nothing of how much closer until they reached the village. It annoyed Sasuke, since he was normally the one who kept track of how close or far they were on missions, but he was so focused on Naruto that he most likely wouldn't have done so if someone had asked him to.

"Hey, Neji! How much closer!" Kiba yelled up, seemingly reading Sasuke's mind and asking the question the Uchiha wouldn't have dared ask out loud. "...Half an hour at most," Neji replied quietly, farther up from the two along with Shino at his side. Hinata was bringing up the rear guarding their backs in case they were ambushed by Zetsu. Sasuke heard the Hyuuga heiress sigh in relief quietly, and understood her emotions well. The sooner Naruto got help, the better.

The run didn't take long after that, and soon the wooden gates of Konoha were towering above their heads as they rushed into the village. "Get Naruto to Hokage-sama," Neji ordered Sasuke. "Hinata-sama and I need to find Shikamaru and prepare for the Zetsus." "...I think it's too late for that," Shino observed quietly, and the group skidded to a halt to behold the sight before them.

Entire roads of houses lay in ruins, small groups of shinobi occasionally running up and down the destroyed dirt paths covered in mud and blood. "...Son of a bitch," Kiba whispered quietly as Sasuke's heart fell. "Sasuke, get him to Tsunade-sama, now!" Neji shouted and leapt off with Hinata close behind, the girl looking over her shoulder briefly at Sasuke and nodded slightly before returning to focusing in front of her.

"I'll come with," Kiba said quietly, and Sasuke turned his head to glare at him. "Naruto's my best friend Sasuke," the dog-nin snarled and bared his fangs. "I don't care if you're his, or he's your best friend, or whatever the hell you two are! I'm going to make sure he's okay!" Akamaru growled once as if to affirm Kiba's decision.

Slightly shocked at Kiba's outburst, Sasuke nodded, dumbfounded, and took off straight for the Hokage Tower. As they neared the center of the village, the destruction gradually lessened, but the abandoned feeling was still there as the trio ran past empty shops with doors flung up, objects flung from the shelves inside. As Sasuke ran by Sakura's home, he saw a dinner table in the front window with the silverware still set on the table, ready for use.

Then, entering the Hokage Tower, he ran straight for Tsunade's room and kicked the door in, panting, with Kiba and Akamaru close behind. Looking up, he saw the Hokage sitting at her desk, hands folding in front of her and leaned up against her forehead. Sweat was dripping from her brow and falling down her cheeks like tears, her clothing covered in dirt and drops of blood.

The blonde noticed their presence and looked up, tired hazel eyes first meeting Sasuke's hard onyx and then drifting to the boy in his arms. "You're back," she exclaimed quietly, stepping out of her desk and revealing a long white bandage wrapped around her torso, over her clothing. "What happened here?" Kiba asked as the Sannin approached. "Zetsu attack," she explained quietly while she stopped in front of Sasuke, raising her hand and examining Naruto with her chakra.

"B arrived a day after the first wave. We've barely been fending them off. It seems Obito and Madara have upgraded them a bit..."

The blonde looked up at Sasuke. "I need to get him into a quarantined room in this Tower," Tsunade murmured. "Is that acceptable?" Sasuke nodded once. "Lead the way," he said. The Sannin stepped past him without saying anything and motioned for the Uchiha and Kiba to follow, leading the way down the hall and deep within the Hokage Tower until the warm wooden walls were replaced with hard steel and metal doors, small rectangular windows cut into the front.

Entering a room, Tsunade led them into a space with white walls, and a single medical operating table in the middle of the floor. "Put him here," she ordered and pointed at the surface. Once Sasuke had done so, he stepped back and kept his eyes trained on Naruto's face while Akamaru whined quietly, Kiba hushing and whispering to the dog while Tsunade began to examine Naruto.

And as her hands passed over his stomach, she gasped.

"What is it," Sasuke demanded, fear rushing him as shock became evident on Tsunade's face. "..." Tsunade didn't answer as she continued to hover her hand over Naruto's stomach. "Tsunade, what is it?!" Sasuke shouted and stepped behind the blonde.

"Naruto...Naruto, he's..."

Tsunade paused and seemed to take in a deep breath.

"Naruto's fighting the Kyuubi."


	4. The return of Uchiha Itachi

Chapter Four: The return of Uchiha Itachi

**Sasuke**

"Naruto is fighting the Kyuubi."

Sasuke stared at the blonde standing in front of him, strands of her hair hanging limply over her eyes while the quiet hum of chakra filled the room. "But, how?" He asked dumbly, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the words. "It's a battle of will," Tsunade explained curtly, raising her right hand to wipe sweat from her brow.

"They are fighting for control of the body. There are two consciousness inside of this 'shell'. And in a battle like this...only one can emerge victorious." Tsunade cleared her throat before continuing. "...But that doesn't mean the winner can live..." Sasuke's fists clenched as Kiba growled behind him. "Whaddya mean by that, Hokage-sama?" The brunette asked lowly, his voice rough with anger.

The Sannin shook her head quickly. "A Jinchūriki cannot live without their Bijuu inside of them," she whispered tensely as she continued to examine Naruto's stomach. "If Naruto wins this fight, the Kyuubi might be expelled from his body... But a Jinchūriki needs their Bijuu's chakra to survive, since it is so intermixed with their own. If it's gone...then their immune system begin to shut down. As well as their vital organs...So if Naruto wins, he dies.

"If the Kyuubi wins...it is the end of us all."

From Sasuke's vantage point, he saw Tsunade close her eyes and clench her jaw while her head lowered. "The village comes first..." the blonde grit out and removed her hand from the glowing red seal on Naruto's stomach, clenching her fingers on the edge of the metal table to blonde laid on. "The village comes first...so that only means one option. We have to stop this body's heart."

"No!" Sasuke snarled and slammed his fist down just next to Naruto's head. "Don't get in my way Uchiha," Tsunade snapped and whipped her head to the left, glaring at the raven. Tears glistened in her hazel eyes. "The Kyuubi must be stopped at all costs!"

"Naruto will not die," Sasuke shouted back. "He won't! He won't...he won't lose..." Moisture in his eyes made Sasuke's vision grow blurry. "There's no other option Sasuke," Tsunade whispered. "If there was, I would gladly take it. Naruto is at a major disadvantage...either way he is going to die.."

"You can't just give up on him!" Kiba exclaimed and appeared at Sasuke's side, his hand braced on the Uchiha's right shoulder as he leaned forward. "Naruto's got the strength to beat this thing! We just have to trust him!" Tsunade closed her eyes as tears began to streak down her cheeks.

"How can you be so heartless?" Sasuke asked when the blonde didn't reply. Opening her eyes, the Sannin brought her hand up and struck Sasuke across the cheek, splitting his lip and drawing blood.

"Don't you dare...don't you _dare_ say I do not care for Naruto," Tsunade whispered brokenly, her voice cracking as she spoke his name. "I consider him to be my own...my son...don't ever even _suggest_ this is an easy decision for me!"

"Then why are you making it?!" Kiba shouted while Sasuke wiped the blood from his chin. "This village is my grandfather's legacy!" Tsunade replied quietly, and Sasuke heard more than saw the blade that she had brought out, steel sliding on leather, as if being pulled from a holster.

"I will protect it no matter what...for Hashirama, for Dan...for Nawaki!"

"And what about Naruto," Sasuke growled and withdrew his fist from his face, turning to stare at the now openly crying Sannin gripping a small dagger in her shaking fist. "How will doing this help Naruto..." Tsunade's eyes narrowed as more tears fell from them. "It will ease his suffering," she whispered in response.

"Nineteen years he's carried this demon inside of him. Nineteen years, bearing a burden for this village that only despised him! Even me! I...hated him for being so much like Dan and my brother..."

A choked sob escaped Tsunade's lips as Kiba took a small step forward. "He's my son...but the village comes first..." Sasuke felt a small tear fall down his face as Kiba walked forward again until he was directly in front of the Hokage, his hand reaching out to gently grip the blade of the dagger. "Hokage-sama," Kiba said. "Please don't do this. Naruto's my friend, and I know he'll pull through this..."

There was a small slicing sound as Tsunade quickly withdrew the knife from Kiba's hand, the brunette flinching as crimson blood poured from his palm and onto the ground. Closing his eyes, Sasuke put his hand gently on top of Naruto's sweltering hot forehead and lowered his head. "Those who break the rules are scum," he whispered, "but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. That is what Kakashi taught me. What he taught Naruto and Sakura. When I was in my darkness, they never gave up on me...at least, Naruto didn't.

"He wants to protect this village. But more than that, he wants to protect his friends. And he wants to be alive with them...and we want him alive with us. That's why he left Konoha. To protect us. So...I'm not going to let his years of sacrifice be in vain. If you want to so much as touch him, you will have to get past me, Tsunade."

Opening his eyes, he fixed his sharnigan firmly on the blonde.

The blonde's hazel eyes had stopped crying, but tears still formed as she stared at the Uchiha before her. "You're gonna have to trust Naruto on this, Hokage-sama," Kiba added in abruptly, "He can take care of himself. He isn't gonna die..."

Tsunade closed her eyes again, lowering her head as her fists shook. Then, ever so slowly, the fingers curled around the bloody dagger loosened and the weapon crashed to the ground. "Two days," she whispered. "I will give him two days to fight. If no-one wins...or if the Kyuubi wins...Naruto's 'body' will die." The Sannin looked up at Sasuke again. "I've lost my faith in him," Tsunade murmured.

"I...can't believe I can trust him anymore...not after all of this."

Turning, the Hokage exited and shut the steel door softly behind herself.

A tense silence then filled the room, Sasuke standing stiffly by Naruto's head while Kiba went to lean against the far wall with Akamaru at his side. Glancing over at the dog-nin, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What are you still doing here," the raven muttered. The brunette seemed to growl in response. "A thank you would be nice, Uchiha," Kiba replied curtly.

"Considering I just helped you save Naruto's life, anyway." Sasuke sighed. "Fine. Thank you," he said, trying to keep his anger out of his tone. Kiba nodded. "Wasn't that hard was it, princess," he said sarcastically and shook his head. "And I told you before, I'm gonna make sure Naruto's alright. I'm stayin' right here." "Damn dog," Sasuke replied and turned his attention back to Naruto, gently rubbing his thumb across the blonde's cheek.

"Maybe...maybe you can see what's going on."

Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke didn't look at Kiba, but replied nonetheless. "What do you mean by that, Kiba," he asked quietly. "With your sharnigan," Kiba explained. "Can't you enter people's minds or something creepy like that?" Sasuke shook his head in exhasperation. "That's Ino," he muttered, "But I can pull them into a genjutsu where I can see what's going on inside of them."

"Same thing," Kiba sighed out. "Maybe you can help Naruto...because Tsunade-sama made it seem like Naruto can't handle the Kyuubi..."

Anger and acceptance rose in Sasuke at that statement. Anger, because he knew Naruto was an extremely powerful shinobi who could, admittedly, take care of himself in most situations. Acceptance, because the Kyuubi was most likely out of his league, considering his health was in such a sorry state.

"I...don't think I will be of much help," Sasuke admitted after he had thought over Kiba's suggestion. "Naruto has been dealing with the fox since he was a child. I can't interfere with this kind of fight." A whistle of air was the only warning Sasuke had of the fist aimed at his cheek. Ducking, he removed his hand from Naruto's cheek and spun on his heel to see Kiba towering over him with his arm outstretched towards him, his black and white ANBU outfit torn from the battle from earlier.

"Don't give me that shit Uchiha!" Kiba yelled and struck out again, aiming his knee at Sasuke's abdomen. "Don't touch Naruto," Sasuke hissed as he dodged and saw Kiba blindly swinging at Naruto's face. Grabbing the brunette's fist, the Uchiha flung him across the room and into Akamaru's torso, sending dog and man to the ground. "If you care about Naruto as much as you say you do..." Kiba snarled from the heap of fur, "Then you should be doing everything in your damn power to save him, you asshole! This coward isn't the Sasuke we all know! The one I know!"

Sasuke's blood ran cold at the familiar statement, the one that had snapped him out of his fear once before, in the Forest of Death..."...What if I hurt him," the raven whispered and turned back to face Naruto. "And what if you save him," Kiba countered, grunting as he stood up. "You won't know till ya try, Uchiha." Sasuke closed his eyes and felt his hands tremble. Kiba was right, he wouldn't know until he tried. And he had done this before...he had stopped the Kyuubi from taking over Naruto once before, he could do it again...right?

Breathing deeply through his nose, Sasuke gently placed his palm over Naruto's eyelids and pulled them open, revealing the blonde's sky blue irises. His eyes were clouded over and unfocused, like Death had already claimed his body. A shiver racked Sasuke at the thought. "If anything happens to Naruto while I'm doing this...if anything happens to me, _wake me up_. Understand?" Sasuke finally ordered. Kiba snorted behind him. "Yes sir," the brunette said sarcastically while Sasuke rolled his eyes before focusing back on Naruto.

Activating his sharnigan, the Uchiha concentrated his chakra into his eyes and into Naruto's while his vision dimmed, his consciousness being sucked into a seemingly narrow tube, and into complete darkness...

* * *

**Sakura**

The wails of children and adults alike crashed on Sakura's ears while she gritted her teeth, sitting in a blue wheelchair while tending to a Jonin who had been fighting the Zetsu a day earlier. "Sakura-sama," the man whispered and turned his head, looking over his shoulder from where he laid on his stomach while the rosette stitched up a slash to his right hip. "Yes," the medical-nin replied and winced as a child's cry rang out through the temporary camp Konoha had set up, deep in the caves just outside of the village.

Torchlight flickered briefly as a scout ran by her with a flaming stick in hand before the lantern above her head illuminated the area in front of her once more. "Can...can we win this? This fight? The Zetsu are..." The man shivered under Sakura's hands. "...Stay still please," Sakura said softly as she continued to sew the flesh together with black string. She had avoided answering her patient's question because, honestly...

She didn't know herself.

He was right; the Zetsu had become immensely more powerful in the three years they had lain dormant. The odd red and black skin tones had been the first sign of their new genetic mutation, then the spikes on their bodies and the yellow and purple eyes...

Sakura hadn't felt so useless during a fight since the Forest of Death during her Genin days.

Her hands began to shake ever so slightly as she remembered watching the fighting from her hospital room, Lee by her side and refusing to take part, insisting he had to protect her. Watching her home go up in flames and the people she had grown up with falling like flies while the Zetsu swarmed over crumbling buildings...

Having Tsunade order the village to retreat may have been the toughest thing of all for the kunochi to deal with.

Ino, Hinata, and TenTen had been nowhere to be seen when Sakura had been placed in a wheelchair and rushed from the hospital, leaving her the only competent medical nin of her generation to tend to the shinobi and villagers who had been wounded during the attacks, the other medics tending to even more victims or out on missions. Having a wounded medic was better than none, she assumed, but it made her condition only that much worse.

"Done!" Sakura proclaimed lightly as she snipped the black surgical string and began to dab at the slash with rubbing alcohol to ensure the wound wouldn't get infected before she started to wrap it in white gauze. "Thank you, Sakura-sama," the man replied gratefully. "Sit up carefully now," she instructed once she had finished dressing the wound, careful to back away with her chair as the man swung his legs over the edge of the wooden platform.

Jealousy ran through Sakura quickly as she thought of being able to walk. Glancing down at her own legs, which were hidden inside of black pants, she attempted _again_ to at least wiggle her toes. Nothing happened, no feeling or twitch or...anything. Hiding a grimace, the rosette looked back at her patient who was staring at her blankly. "How are your wounds, Sakura-sama?" The man asked sympathetically as Sakura smiled weakly at him. "I'm recovering well," she murmured back. "Would you mind doing a couple of stretches for me? Like this..."

Grasping her upper arm with her right hand, Sakura pulled her left arm across her chest while twisting her back slightly as she sat, demonstrating the stretch she wanted the man to preform. Imitating her movements, the patient copied the stretch perfectly. "No pain in the stitches?" The kunochi asked. The man shook his head in reply. "Nope, nothing," he said back. "Alright. How about reaching up?" Sakura held her palms up and behind her head, cradling her skull. The man mimicked the movement.

"How about then?" She asked once she had told him to relax. "I feel fine," he replied. "Just a bit sore and tender near the wound." Sakura nodded. "That's to be expected," she explained. "Well, I think you're good to go, anyways...would you mind sending Rock Lee over to me on your way out?" The man nodded and smiled again, lips closed. "Thank you again," he said gratefully and slid off of the table, Sakura watching his retreating back as he exited the small cave the village had set aside for the medics.

A few minutes later, Lee came jogging in, covered head to toe in dirt. "What did you do," Sakura sighed as Lee stopped in front of her with a stupid grin plastered on his face. "Guy-san and I were training in one of the empty caves!" The ninjutsu user said happily. "Lee...there are no empty caves. You were training in one of the sleeping quarters." Lee's grin fell into a small frown. "Well...that would explain the mats on the ground..." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Listen. You remember that man I sent to you?" Lee nodded. "He was very nice," he commented, "Very youthful." Sakura sighed. "Lee...he's a Zetsu," she said quietly. Lee's eyes, if possible, widened. "Sakura-kun, are you sure?" He asked softly. "His wound...it caused him no pain. And there was hardly any blood, despite how large the gash was," Sakura explained.

"Plus, he didn't smile with his teeth. His mannerisms were all off. And I've never seen him in the village before."

Lee seemed to be lost in thought as he stared off into space just above Sakura's head. "Should we tell Hokage-sama about it?" He finally asked. Sakura slowly shook her head. "There might be others," she said back. "If we rush this then they might attack sooner." Lee nodded, smiling...with his lips closed.

"Alright then," he said.

Then he lunged forward and grabbed Sakura's neck.

Choking on a scream, Sakura thrashed in her wheelchair as Zetsu-Lee tightened his hold on her windpipe and his features slowly melted, like wax, to reveal a red and black Zetsu grinning at her with pointed teeth, purple and yellow eyes narrowed in a scowl. Reaching out to her surgical table, the kunochi fished around with her left hand while she futilely tried to kick her legs, which were still non-responsive. Gripping what she thought (and hoped) was a scalpel, she brought the weapon up and stabbed it into the side of the Zetsu's neck.

The creature hissed in pain, and released its hold on the rosette's neck. Coughing, and with her lungs feeling like they were made of sandpaper, Sakura pushed herself out of her chair and propelled her weight into the Zetsu, sending both of them crashing into a metal tray full of medical equipment. Bits of metal hit the kunochi's head while she focused her chakra into her right hand and quickly punched the Zetsu across the face, hearing a soft snap as the creature's head rolled to the side.

Panting, Sakura slowly propped herself up on her hands so she loomed over the Zetsu and analyzed the damage she had caused. With one blow, she had snapped its neck, and with the scalpel she had managed to cut into its jugular enough to cause some restricted air flow, if it had lived through her strike. Raising her right palm, she rubbed at her eyes and tried to roll herself off of the body while hearing footsteps running towards her.

"Sakura-kun!" A voice yelled, and the kunochi looked to her right to see Lee running into the cave, eyes wide with worry. "Sakura-kun! I heard the sounds of battle and..._is that a Zetsu!?_" Breathing heavily, Sakura nodded as she tried to sit up. Lee rushed to her side and slipped his hand behind his waist, supporting her weight while he stared at her profile. "Lee..." Sakura whispered, her throat aching and making her voice scratchy.

"Can...can you show me your teeth..."

Nodding, Sakura saw Lee smile, his teeth square and normal, unlike the Zetsu's animal-like fangs. "Thank goodness..." She sighed and closed her eyes, the adrenaline from the fight fading to fatigue. "What happened Sakura-kun?" Lee asked quietly, an abnormality for him. Sakura smiled weakly. "A Zetsu...a few Zetsus have infiltrated us. One was a shinobi I've never seen in the village before...I treated a wound on his hip. Then..."

Sakura felt like crying. "Then you walked into the cave...except it wasn't you, it was that Zetsu, and he...he attacked me."

"Sakura-kun...I'm sorry," Lee whispered, then gently put his other arm under her knees. "Do you mind if I assist you back to your chair?" Sakura nodded her consent and felt herself lifted into the air. "I promise that won't happen again," Lee proclaimed as he walked back to the wheelchair, which was tipped onto its side with one of the wheels spinning slightly.

"I'll protect you Sakura-kun, for the rest of my youthful life...it's a promise!"

Sakura inhaled a sharp intake of air as a sense of dei ja vu washed over her, her eyes snapping open as she remembered a thirteen year old Naruto proclaiming something similar to Lee's reassurance. The tears she had hidden earlier spilled over, and as she choked back a sob she buried her face into Lee's green covered chest. "Sakura-kun?" Lee asked worriedly, fixing the chair so it was back on two wheels.

Sniffling, Sakura smiled lightly. "Please...just call me Sakura," she whispered.

"Alright, Sakura," Lee offered and gently set Sakura back into her chair while she wiped at her eyes with her fingers. Then the ninjutsu user struck his infamous good guy pose, sticking his thumb up in the air as he grinned. "The springtime of youth has not left us yet, Sakura!" He proclaimed. "Thus, I promise to get you out of this cave and begin some vigorous exercise!"

"Wait, wha-!?"

* * *

**Naruto**

"Go to hell," Naruto growled as waves splashed around him, towering over his head as the enraged fox in front of him slammed its front paws into the ground, snarling. "Fūton: Eakattā*!" Sucking in a deep breath, Naruto focused the majority of his chakra into his lungs while forming the Tiger, Ox, and Ram seals with his hands, then once he had finished released the air in his mouth as the sound of slashing blades ripped the air, the only sign of the jutsu being the rippling of the air in front of Kyuubi and the blood that was seemingly being spilled from the fox on its own accord.

Roaring in pain, the fox sent a massive fireball rocketing in the blonde's direction in retaliation. Holding his middle and index finger in front of his chest, Naruto closed his eyes as the water at his feet began to shift. "Suiton: Mizu hitsugi no Jutsu*!" Opening his eyes, Naruto focused his chakra into them and glared at the Kyuubi, feeling the water underneath his feet flow towards the fox. The demon didn't seem to notice as it charged at the Jinchūriki, jaws wide and fangs glistening in the low light.

However, just as the fox was about to slash at Naruto with its massive claws, water sprung up like snakes under its paws and wound up its legs, restraining it while a bubble of liquid opened under it, slowly encasing the demon in a suffocating ball of water. "Futon: Chissoku*." Clenching his fist in front of him, Naruto saw small streams of oxygen flowing from the water sphere as the Kyuubi thrashed inside, its nine orange tails floating behind it as he glared at the Jinchūriki, jaws agape as air flowed from its nostrils.

Then something shook the floor under Naruto's feet.

Unprepared for the shake, Naruto collapsed to his knees while the water sphere fell with a great splash to the ground, the water level rising as the Kyuubi landed and began to cackle. "Akuma: Fujōna hi*!" The water around Naruto began to sizzle and evaporate into steam as the temperature rose to nearly unbearable heights, and Naruto grit his teeth as the Kyuubi charged him, his entire orange coat cloaked in bright red fire as it sprinted headlong at the blonde.

Kneeling on one leg, Naruto forced himself to stand amongst the boiling hot water and formed the Snake seal. "Enbārirīsu: Kasai shīru no Jutsu*!" Pushing forward, Naruto leapt up above the Kyuubi and twisted in the air as he faced his palm downward at the Kyuubi's neck, shouting as chakra exploded from him in a ray of yellow light extended downward into the Kyuubi's flesh. Howling, the fox stumbled and fell to its left flank, landing and thrashing as the glowing yellow kanji for "fire" appeared on its neck, his fur sizzling and burnt.

Landing behind the demon, Naruto panted heavily and fell to one leg once again as exhaustion flooded him. "Fucking demon," he whispered and coughed, feeling blood and bile rising in his throat. It never ceased to confuse him how, even if he was fighting in his head, mortal wounds could still affect him like this.

"This...this is not over yet...brat..."

Naruto looked over his shoulder as the Kyuubi staggered to its paws and sneered at the Jinchūriki. "I...didn't expect it to be," Naruto replied slowly and stood. The fox didn't reply, but darkness seemed to envelop its form as it vanished from the blonde's sight. Shaking his head, Naruto glanced around the destroyed cage they had been fighting in, wondering where the Kyuubi could have gone in his mind if its cage was beyond destroyed. Red bars laid mangled and twisted all around, the frame of the cage doors bent where the Kyuubi had slammed the blonde into them earlier.

The sound of a body hitting the floor landed on Naruto's ears.

Turning quickly, the blonde saw Sasuke kneeling behind him, looking tired and worn as he glanced up at Naruto. "Sasuke..." He whispered as the Uchiha noticed him. "Naruto," Sasuke said back, standing up and glancing around the cage. "Tsunade was right then," the raven murmured, Naruto arching an eyebrow at the statement. "What did she say?" The blonde asked.

"That you were fighting the Kyuubi."

Naruto looked away. "...Yeah," he whispered, guilt flooding him as he remembered what had happened between himself and the Uchiha. "She said if you defeated it you were going to die. That you can't live without its chakra," Sasuke said quietly, and Naruto noticed that neither of them made a move towards each other. "I didn't defeat him," he replied. "It's sort of...a stalemate right now, I guess."

Naruto peered up through his bangs to see Sasuke nod, the raven not looking at Naruto, but instead looking up at the unfathomable ceiling. "Sasuke-" "Why did you leave," Sasuke interrupted. Naruto looked up to see the Uchiha looking at him, black eyes narrowed with pain. The blonde nearly gasped at how...broken Sasuke seemed. "I...I didn't have a choice," Naruto replied numbly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes further.

"You have always had a choice, _Naruto_," Sasuke hissed back, seeming to flinch as he said the Jinchūriki's name. Naruto knew that he himself flinched from how much pain was in the Uchiha's tone. "I thought you loved me! That we could figure this out together...do you know how close I was to losing you? Do you know how...how terrified I was!? When I saw you in the forest, ready to kill our comrades? _When you killed Kya?!_"

Naruto's eyes widened. "What...what are you talking about," he whispered. "You heard me," Sasuke snapped and took a step forward, fists clenched and shaking by his sides. "You. Killed. Kya." "I...no, no I didn't," said Naruto in return, stepping back in turn. "You were about to kill me," Sasuke hissed, a tear falling from his right eye down his cheek, "And Kya jumped in front of you. You could have stopped yourself, you could have saved her! But you didn't!"

"I didn't ask you to chase after me!" Naruto screamed back. "I left to save you! Because I love you enough to save your sorry ass!" "You left because you were scared!" Sasuke retorted. Naruto felt his heart break at how hurt Sasuke seemed, and how much it hurt him to hear those words. "If you had a demon that wanted to kill everything you care about, Sasuke...then you would be scared too," Naruto growled.

Sasuke looked away, refusing to meet Naruto's searching eyes. "You have no idea how worried I was..." Naruto heard the raven whisper then. Then he glanced back at Naruto. "Let's go, I'm waking you up," Sasuke muttered. Closing his eyes...Naruto shook his head. "Not until I can defeat this thing," Naruto said sadly, smiling slightly. "Naruto, don't be an idiot," said Sasuke in panic.

"You'll...you'll die if you kill the Kyuubi!"

Naruto opened his eyes in shock as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and felt a chin resting on his shoulder. A shudder seemed to run through Sasuke as the blonde slowly wrapped his arm arms behind the Uchiha's back. "...I promised I would wake you up," Sasuke murmured into the Jinchūriki's neck, his breath warm against his skin. "And I promised I would protect the village," Naruto replied softly. "I'm taking you back," Sasuke demanded. Naruto opened his mouth to reply when a voice cut him off.

"Sorry Sasuke...maybe next time."

Naruto's eyes widened as a third voice entered the room. Sasuke tensed in Naruto's arms as the blonde looked over the raven's shoulders to see Uchiha Itachi standing in front of him, dressed in the last things he had seen the Uchiha in. The black and red Akatsuki cloak, the slashed Konoha hitai-ate, red sharnigan in his eyes. "You...you're.." Naruto stammered as Sasuke raised his head slowly from Naruto's shoulder.

Itachi seemed to smile slightly. "Little brother," the man said quietly, addressing Sasuke now as the raven turned, brushing his fingers against Naruto's and interlacing their hands. "What is going on," Sasuke demanded. "When Naruto and I crossed paths, four years ago...I placed some of my chakra inside of him," Itachi explained, and raised his right arm, which had black chakra swirling around it.

A crow formed on his forearm, a sharnigan in its left eye.

"I believe I can help Naruto-kun defeat the Kyuubi...without the threat of dying."

Naruto heard more than felt Sasuke's chakra flare slightly. "How do we know you aren't the Kyuubi trying to trick us," Sasuke growled. Itachi sighed and closed his eyes. "Little brother..." The Uchiha said calmly, as if he were dealing with an impatient child, "I never got the chance to you see and Naruto-kun at the same time..." His eyes opened and glanced at their entwined hands.

"I would never, nor will I, hurt Naruto-kun on purpose. The Kyuubi is a threat to not only Naruto-kun, but to Konoha and potentially the world. It must be stopped at all costs."

Sasuke shifted by Naruto's side. "And I want to protect you," Itachi murmured. "I can help Naruto-kun, Sasuke. Trust me." Naruto glanced at Sasuke. "I believe him, Sasuke," the blonde said softly. Sasuke glanced down at him, black eyes conflicted with suspicion, love, and need. "...I will come in here every day to check on you," Sasuke whispered without looking away from Naruto.

"Even though I have made peace with my brother...I can't trust him this easily." Naruto nodded and glanced at the older Uchiha, who was looking away to give the two some privacy. "I'll see you tomorrow then," Naruto murmured. "And...I'm sorry." Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the apology. "...I forgive you," he said back and leaned down, kissing Naruto quickly. "I love you," the raven whispered into the blonde's ear, as his figure began to turn transparent in front of Naruto before vanishing completely.

Sighing, and with the kiss still lingering on his lips, Naruto turned to face Itachi. "Alright," he said with a grin and punched his fist into his palm, "Let's do this."

* * *

Fūton: Eakattā - Air Release: Air Cutter

Suiton: Mizu hitsugi no Jutsu - Water Release: Water Coffin

Futon: Chissoku - Air Release: Oxygen Stealer

Akuma: Fujōna hi - Demon Release: Unholy Flame

Enbārirīsu: Kasai shīru no Jutsu - Ember Release: Fire Seal

Ember Release is formed by combining Air and Fire Release, using more Air chakra than Fire chakra. Demon Release is used by combining impure chakra with any sort of chakra signature.

Right now, Naruto can use Air, Water, Fire, and as a result of Air and Fire, Ember release.

Sasuke can use Fire, Blaze, and Lightning Release.

Sakura's element is Earth according to me, so she can use Rock, Plant, and Water Release. Plant Release is mainly used for medical purposes and is similar to Wood Release, except instead of trees it uses healing chakra to heal wounds in the middle of battle, similar to the Regeneration Technique of the First and Fifth Hokages. However, Sakura can use it on other people besides herself. Plant Release requires an enormous amount of chakra however, so she uses it rarely. Currently, she is the only shinobi in the world to be able to use the style.


End file.
